Common Dreams And Their Meanings

March 29, 2017

You Are Being ChasedYou are being chased by a large animal, monster, generic bad guy, shadowy figure, or some other equally scary attacker.

What It Means:If Freddy Kruger is after you, you’re watching too many horror movies. More likely though, you are avoiding something, often your own emotions! If you are ignoring feelings of anger or hate, your subconscious is telling you that it’s time to confront those feelings, and say goodbye to them once and for all. As Yoda said “fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, and hate leads to nightmares about monsters chasing you.” Okay, so maybe that’s not quite what Yoda said, but you get the picture. Then again, a different reason for this nightmare could be that you are avoiding responsibility. In that case, it is time to empty your calendar of anything unnecessary and take care of business.

You Are FallingYou are falling for what feels like forever. Or if you’re lucky, you’re just slipping or losing your balance.

What It Means:Have you ever felt your muscles jerk when falling asleep? That’s called a “myoclonic jerk” and it often happens during a falling dream, which occurs during the first phase of sleep. The key to understanding a falling dream is to understanding how you are falling. If you are losing grip and about to fall, you need to let go of a situation or relationship you are trying too hard to control. If you feel clumsy, then your life is out of balance - perhaps you are working too much or giving too much of yourself in a relationship. If you are falling straight down, this represents fear of failure. If you are slipping or tripping, that means you are afraid of making a mistake. If someone has pushed you, you feel threatened by someone in real life, perhaps a demanding boss or gossipy relative.

You Fail a TestStudying for a test you are stressed out about, or failing a test.

What It Means:Kids in school and adults who've long since graduated both dream about taking or studying for a stressful test, and this common dream may actually help us to achieve success in life. Basically, when we think we are going to fail, we work doubly hard. This dream also allows our brain to take a timeout for a “self exam,” in order to deal, well, you know... life and stuff.

You Are Naked in PublicYou are giving a work presentation, walking down the street, or having a conversation with a friend, when you suddenly realize that - gasp! - you’re naked.

What It Means:Feeling vulnerable, exposed, or uncomfortable in your own skin? Hiding something or trying to keep a secret? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, there’s a good chance you’ll dream about being naked or half-naked somewhere in public. On the other hand, if you feel comfortable in your birthday suit, you are probably a very secure person, and wouldn't consider this a nightmare at all.

Your Teeth Fall OutYour teeth fall or crumble apart.

What It Means:This dream is so common, there is a whole website dedicated to it: TeethFallingOutDream.org! Losing your teeth can be a symbol for losing your youth, money, self image, security, masculinity, mojo, etc, but more often than not, it means you are just going through a big life change like switching jobs or moving houses. Not a biggie.

You DieYou or someone you know is dying or severely injured. You may suffer from a deadly disease, or your loved one may get in a fatal car crash.

What It Means:Don’t worry, just because you dreamed about dying, it doesn’t mean you’re going to die. In reality, dreaming about death just means a new beginning in life. Maybe you are kicking an old habit, selling your home, or changing jobs. So what does it mean when someone sees dead people in their dreams? Mystics believe dreams give us a glimpse to the other side, so it may mean that you're being visited by ghosts. Then again, psychologists claim that dreams simply help us to deal with the tragic deaths of loved ones.

You Are LateYou’re in a frantic hurry, and may already be late for a plane flight, bus ride, school exam, or important appointment.

What It Means:Dreaming that you are late can mean a lot of things depending on the scenario in the dream.There may be a task or responsibility that you need to take care of that you are avoiding. Another reason you are having this dream? You are worried about a missed opportunity.

You Are TrappedIn this claustrophobic nightmare, you’re stuck and can’t find your way out. You may be buried alive or crushed by large objects.

What It Means:You feel stuck in real life. Maybe you’re having trouble making a decision, feel too much pressure at work, or you’re in a situation you don’t feel you can control. If you keep a dream journal and can document the circumstances in your dream where you get trapped, you can figure out what real-life issue needs your attention.

You Are LostYou don’t know where you're supposed to go, or you’ve lost a valuable item.

What It Means:If you’re feeling anxious and confused about what your next move in life should be, them you may dream about being lost in a forest or trapped in a maze. Your subconscious mind may be warning you that you are too distracted in life and are not focused enough to stay on path. Or maybe you’ve started a new job or relationship and you don’t know how to navigate. On the other hand, if you have lost something of value to you in your dream, like car, house keys, or phone, that often means you have lost motivation or drive in life. Re-evaluating your goals in life is probably a good idea.

Your Car Loses ControlWhile driving, you lose control of your car, or your car stops working altogether. You may also dream of crashing a plane, or a different type of vehicle.

What It Means:In this dream, the car is you. If you are driving the car and it is going off course, that means you don’t feel like you have control over your own destiny. If you are a passenger in an out-of-control vehicle, then you are letting someone else control your life. You should slow down and examine the decisions you are making in your life to ensure that you feel sufficiently in control.

You Are Swimming in Choppy WatersYou find yourself trying to keep your head above choppy ocean waves, and may feel like you’re about to drown.

What It Means:You are feeling overwhelmed with emotions and all of life’s stresses, you probably need to take some time to relax and just BREATHE. The ocean is a symbol for life itself, as humans came from the water. So the bigger the waves and the darker the sky, the more troubled the dreamer. A tsunami indicates there is a challenge that is not in the dreamer's control.

What It Means:Before cell phones were invented, people still dreamed of machines breaking down. One reason is that when you dream, your “language center” shuts down, and so doing tasks like making a phone call or sending an email become very frustrating. Cell phones and computers are also our communication devices. So fear of losing relationships and connections is what this stems from.

You Kill SomeoneYou murder or attempt to murder someone… (You may want to keep this one to yourself.)

What It Means:While a new study has shown that dreaming of murdering can reflect real-life aggression, that doesn’t mean there’s a correlation with the actual act of murder. You may actually be trying to get rid of an aspect of your personality or life. Or you may have resentment toward someone that you need to address.

You Get Cheated OnYour significant other betrays you and has an affair.

What It Means:This dream can symbolize any kind of relationship betrayal, minor or major, and not always romantic. You could even be disappointed in yourself, and feel that you did not live up to your own personal expectations. If the dream does relate to your significant other, it could just be that you are not spending enough time with each other, or are not communicating about each other’s needs properly.

You're in a Natural DisasterWhether it’s a tornado or an all-out apocalypse, you find yourself in the middle of a horrific catastrophe.

What It Means:While you may be tempted to warn the neighborhood about the end of the world after dreaming of a natural disaster, don’t be so quick. Chances are you’re dreaming a challenge more specific to you. A tornado can represent a big life change that has taken away your security. An earthquake can represent bad news or financial trouble. A volcanic eruption can represent anger. And so forth.

You Can’t Find a ToiletYou have to go, but can’t find a bathroom anywhere.

What It Means:If you can’t go #1 or #2, you can’t take care of your basic needs, and so you are literally blocked from moving forward in life. The experience of being potty-less is also an embarrassing one. All of this indicates that there is something you need to get over or overcome in order to be happy in life.

You Are Abducted by an AlienYou have been transported to a cold, metal spacecraft, and are paralyzed as extra-terrestrial entities examine your body.

What It Means:While many people say alien abductions are not actually dreams at all, but real memories of contact with space beings, most scientists agree that aliens in dreams represent an external force or person that is manipulating the dreamer. Many experience sleep paralysis during these alien abduction dreams, indicating that they happen in between sleep and wake cycles, when that phenomenon most often occurs.